# Droughts, complicated by climate change, result in US beef herd hitting historic low - Investigate Midwest

> Intense droughts and erratic rainfall have reduced pastureland across major US cattle states, forcing some ranchers to pay more for feed. The US beef cattle herd has hit a historic low, with experts largely blaming drought. Climate change is compounding the problem through alternating heavy rain and long dry periods.

- Date: 2024-03-13 · published 2024-03-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/31164-droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-result-in-us-beef-herd-hitting-historic
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

A structurally small herd limits beef supply and supports higher cattle prices. Higher feed costs also squeeze producer margins and may slow herd rebuilding.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2021-08-18 | [US drought could have implications for beef exports
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45518-us-drought-could-have-implications-for-beef-exports-the-cattle-site.md) | +1.9% | +0.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-08-01 | [Maximizing Profits Under Drought Conditions, Higher Input Costs, and National Herd Liquidation \| UNL Beef \| Nebraska](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39970-maximizing-profits-under-drought-conditions-higher-input-costs-and-national.md) | +0.1% | +3.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-01-10 | [Three drought years expected to push US cattle inventory to 72-year low \| An official publication of Michigan Farm Bureau](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37725-three-drought-years-expected-to-push-us-cattle-inventory-to-72-year-low-an.md) | -0.3% | +1.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-11-13 | [All Drought, No Cattle: Low herd supply may drive record-high prices next year](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38615-all-drought-no-cattle-low-herd-supply-may-drive-record-high-prices-next-year.md) | +0.8% | +2.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-11-11 | [Return of US drought delays cattle-herd rebuilding, hurting Tyson Foods](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27539-return-of-us-drought-delays-cattle-herd-rebuilding-hurting-tyson-foods.md) | -1.1% | +1.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2021-08-18 | [US drought could have implications for beef exports
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45518-us-drought-could-have-implications-for-beef-exports-the-cattle-site.md) | +1.3% | -1.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-08-01 | [Maximizing Profits Under Drought Conditions, Higher Input Costs, and National Herd Liquidation \| UNL Beef \| Nebraska](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39970-maximizing-profits-under-drought-conditions-higher-input-costs-and-national.md) | +0.5% | +2.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-01-10 | [Three drought years expected to push US cattle inventory to 72-year low \| An official publication of Michigan Farm Bureau](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37725-three-drought-years-expected-to-push-us-cattle-inventory-to-72-year-low-an.md) | -2.2% | +1.9% |

## Sources

- investigatemidwest.org: https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/03/13/droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-lead-to-historically-dwindling-us-beef-herd/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.